Big Sister Bakes was created during the pandemic to help my little sister, Caroline, discover the joys of baking and learn how to manage a small, home-based business. Caroline was born with Bradycardia and developed several learning and cognitive disabilities. All proceeds from our baked goods go towards Caroline's benefit and continued well-being.        

Our mother was an avid baker and I truly believe my interest in cooking came directly from her.  During the pandemic, Caroline and I started experimenting with different dessert recipes and delivering these home-made goodies to our friends and relatives. 

Below is a brief story of our family's baking background:

My little sister and I grew up in a home where there was always something deliciously baking in the oven or cooking on the stovetop. Our beloved mother was an amazing baker and superb cook! Being the eldest of nine kids, our mom learned how to cook for her large family at a very young age. Some of her dessert specialties, which all our friends and relatives still favor, include Biko (sweet rice mixed with coconut milk and brown sugar), Sapin-Sapin (multi-colored and layered, sticky rice dessert), and her famous Hopia (dense yet flaky pastry filled with sweet, mung beans).

My mom and I immigrated from The Philippines in 1973, and just two years later, she was selling her baked goods at Chicago's only Filipino Grocery store in Uptown. She would spend hours kneading the Hopia dough, rolling them into flat discs, and filling them with sweetened, green mung beans. I even remember typing (yes, on an old-fashion, manual typewriter) all the tiny labels of ingredients to include in each packaging. Every week, she would make huge batches of these perfectly golden, flaky pastries, that would sell out by the week's end. This became our weekly, mother-daughter ritual that lasted for several years until we moved to a different neighborhood.

By the time my little sister was born, our mom still maintained her passion for cooking and baking, but she mostly baked for just family and friends. A couple years later, our mom was diagnosed with breast cancer; which she bravely battled for 11 years. Next year (2026) marks the 30th anniversary of our mom's passing. If you were one of the lucky ones to have tasted our mom's cooking, you'll agree she had a very special touch. Her culinary creations had that indelible taste of authentic Filipino goodness, reminding you of our home country, and leaving you with an insatiable craving for more. I hope a little bit of her special touch was passed down to her daughters. Big Sister Bakes is our loving tribute to our mom, whom we greatly miss.